If This is to End in Fire, We All Should Burn Together
by angstyteenagetrash
Summary: "I believe you are Jeannine "Jyn" Erso, am I correct?" She was found out. Crap. "Don't call me Jeannine. I haven't been Jeannine in years." Jyn Erso was on a one-woman crusade to bring down the Axis powers in Europe when London Underground agent Cassian Andor finds her and brings her in. She thinks he will only get in the way when he asks for help. She is wrong rebelcaptain WWII au
1. Part One

**~ French Countryside, April, 1926 ~**

 _The sky was gray, the sun not yet over the horizon when a little girl came running over a hill. She burst through the door to a small cottage, calling out,_

 _"Papa, Papa, they're coming!"_

 _A tall man came out of a small study and caught the girl up in his arms._

 _"You must go now, Stardust," he said, setting her down, taking her face in his hands._

 _"I don't want to leave you, Papa," she argued. The man smiled at her, a sad smile that had become all to familiar._

 _"Go with your mother, Jyn. Everything I do, I do to protect you," he told her gently._

 _The girl's eyes began to water, but she knew she couldn't cry, not now. She ran into her room and dug a satchel out from under her bed and returned to her mother._

 _The mother turned to her, and knelt to her level._

 _"Are you ready, Jeannine?" She asked softly. The girl nodded, watching her papa gather up papers from his desk. He turned when he felt her eyes on him._

 _"You must go now, Jyn. Go to the shed, Saw will find you." He hugged her again, knowing he'd almost never see her again. "Stay safe, stay hidden." He kissed her forehead. "Go!"_

 _The girl was eight and she watched a man in a white suit walk towards her papa, while men in dark suits and guns trailed behind him._

 _The girl was eight and she watched her mother be murdered in front of her eyes._

 _The girl was eight and her father left her to work for Germans._

 _The girl was eight and she was left alone in a cruel world with nothing but a crystal necklace left of her parents._

 **~ Border of Austria, October, 1941 ~**

A train chugged steadily along the tracks through dense trees. It was late, last sundown, and the sky was cloudy. Two men dressed in dark clothes made their way quickly up the tracks, the train closing in steadily. The taller one dashed across the tracks to the opposite side to hide in the trees. The other ducked into underbrush. A walkie-talkie crackled.

"This Is -" a crackle that could only be a sigh - "Goldilocks to Baby Bear, Baby Bear do you read?"

"This is Baby Bear, I read."

"The explosives are ready, when I give the signal, pull the trigger."

"I acknowledge."

Suddenly, there was a jarring boom and the train and tracks exploded.

"Cassian, I did not give you the signal."

The man in question was shocked. He fumbled for words, before saying,

"I didn't do it, it wasn't me! I swear, Kay, there's someone else!"

Through the smoke and dim light, Captain Cassian Andor, Intelligence officer for the London Underground, stumbled across what used to be train tracks to his partner and pilot, British Kay Tuesso. Couching and waving at the smoke, Cassian asked loudly,

"What was that?"

Kay shrugged indignantly.

"I wouldn't know. I was going to ask you the same thing!"

Cassian groaned.

"There must have been someone else. Quiet, Kay," he commanded when he started to speak.

The creak of twisted metal. The crackle of flames. The groan of burning wood. _The scuff of a leather boot against rock._

Cassian turned suddenly, sprinting towards the treeline to his left, back where he'd come from. Kay was behind him, because if Cassian started running, Kay followed his partner.

As they ran into the trees, the smoke began to clear, and a small figure was spotted in front of him, quick, lithe. A burst of speed sent Cassian gaining on, what must be a boy. Slowly, steadily, he gained on the boy, until he was close enough to hear the heavy breathing. Cassian launched himself and landed on top of the person, and they tumbled to a halt. He quickly wrenched the boy off his back and his hat fell off and Kay flashlight was suddenly glaring in his face and the boy… was not a boy. It was a girl, small, petite, with a pale face and green eyes and dark hair falling out of a bun at the base of her neck. She looked furious and dangerous, though Cassian had never thought to relate that word to a girl. She tried to jerk out of his grip, and abruptly, Cassian knew that face, the scowl familiar, the glare recognized.

Could it be?

"Jeannine Erso?!"

He had to hand it to her, she was an excellent actress. The only response he drew out was a face of confusion.

"Who?"

Her British accent was commendable, but there was an underlying French accent beneath it.

"You're Jyn Erso," he insisted. She tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but he only held on tighter.

"Look, I don't know any Jyn Erso, mate. My name's Liliana Halick, not Erso," she persisted.

Cassian smiled grimly.

"Then what is a British girl like you doing in Austria with soot all over your face?" he asked, humoring her.

"What's a Spaniard like you doing in Nazi Austria with a bomb trigger in your pocket?" she shot right back.

"…Classified."

She scoffed.

"Classified, really, me too," she replied scathing.

Cassian was getting tired of this. She wasn't going to admit it, so he'd just have to bring her in.

"Kay!" Cassian called. Kay appeared from behind the Erso girl.

"Yes?" he asked. Cassian snapped his fingers and pointed at Erso's wrists.

"Cuffs. She's going back with us."

At this, Erso looked up sharply. Obviously, she didn't want to go back. While Cassian was reaching across, Erso snapped into action. She spun and kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. She turned to run, but was suddenly grabbed by her collar and pulled off the ground.

"I do not think you are going anywhere without us."

 **~ London Underground Base, London, England ~**

A musty sack was yanked off of "Liliana Hallick's" head and she scowled angrily. She spotted the Spaniard lurking in the back of the room and "Kay" was nowhere in sight. Instead, a balding, grim-looking man, and a thin woman in a crisp white dress suit stood in front of her. The woman stepped forward and spoke.

"Please, there will be no need for those," she said with a British accent -not that that surprised her - and gestured to the handcuffs. A man unlocked them and backed away nervously from "Liliana's" glare.

"I am Mary Mothma. This is my coworker, General Darick Draven. We are some of the leaders of the London Underground. And I believe you are Jeannine "Jyn" Erso, am I correct?"

She was found out. Apparently everybody knew who she was. Crap.

"Don't call me Jeannine. I haven't been Jeannine in years."

She could practically hear the Spaniard roll his eyes. Draven nodded.

"Which brings us to our second point." He paused for emphasis. "We have been… searching for you for a while. You're a very hard woman to find."

Jyn smiled humorlessly.

"That was the point."

Draven nodded again.

"Even so. We think you could be a valuable asset to us. If you would con-"

Jyn cut him off with a scoff.

"You want me to help you? I can't imagine how humiliating it must be for you to ask a woman for help," she said scathingly.

Yeah, egging on the man who currently has you captive probably isn't the best idea, but then again, Jyn was never very good at keeping her mouth shut. Or making wise decisions. Or good ideas. Draven glowered at her.

"I would suggest you watch your mouth," he threatened. "I could easily have you killed."

Jyn gave that humorless, condescending smile again.

"Yes, but then you'd be just like the Nazis, and we couldn't have that, now could we."

Before Draven could retort, though he was still fuming, The Spaniard Spy, as she had taken to calling him, stepped forward and spoke.

"The General is only trying to ask you some questions. This could have all gone much more smoothly of you'd have kept your remarks to yourself."

He stopped, almost composed himself before speaking again.

"My name is Captain Cassian Andor. When was the last time you came in contact with your father?" He said all this nonchalantly, like it was a question he'd ask if he'd taken her to dinner.

But asking about her past was not a good subject. So she didn't answer. She deflected with snark.

"Your mother must have had high hopes for you if she named you 'Captain.'"

For a spy, Jyn could ruffle his feathers surprisingly easily. Or maybe she had just gotten good at reading people who didn't want to be read.

"When was the last time you were in contact with your father?" He repeated more forcefully.

There was no escaping the question. He wasn't going to give up.

"'Dunno. Fifteen years ago?"

She stared him down with all the strength of a girl who'd been born with the strength of a lion. She had faced worse than him.

"Do you know where he is now?" he asked next, much more calmly this time.

Jyn shrugged noncommittally.

"I like to think he'd dead."

He nodded, as if he'd expected this, as if, in his oh-so-brilliant mind, he'd known she would answer in such a manner, that she would try to act nonchalant, but, in reality, she had had too much emotion in her life, that all this casualness, all this faked detachment, was just a cover for her broken, battered soul. She hated it.

"Maybe you've heard… a defective Nazi cargo truck driver, with a message for Saw Gerarra from your father?" he asked next, just as casually.

Andor wanted to gauge her reaction. What reaction? Jyn shrugged again.

"I haven't heard of it. What do you need me for?"

Andor stifled a sigh and an eye-roll. She was being difficult on purpose, yes, it was fun, watching them squirm.

"You were raised by Gerarra, were you not?"

"… I wouldn't say raised. More like, taught. He's the reason why I was almost got away from you."

"Yet, you're not with him now." It wasn't a question.

"I thought you knew all about me and him."

Andor didn't say anything, just stared her down.

"…No. He abandoned me when I was fifteen. But I can guess why you want me. You want me to get you to Gerarra. You want me to get you to him so you can get to the defector, so you can get to the message."

Draven, Mothma, and Andor all exchanged a look.

"Yes," Mothma spoke up. "And in exchange, all your records will be cleared, and you will be free to go where you please."

Jyn considered this. On the one hand, she'd have to face the past she'd be running from - because running from it, she was - but on the other hand, she'd get a chance to strike at the Nazis and get a chance at freedom.

"I don't suppose I have much of a choice, do I?"

 **~ Outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel ~**

Wearing a head scarf, dark brown army style pants, and a dark green blouse, Jyn swiped a pistol out the bag on the bench of Andor's plane. Speak of the devil. The man dropped down the ladder from the cockpit and gave her a once over.

"Where'd you get that gun?" he demanded. Jyn gave _him_ a once over.

"I found it."

From the cockpit came Kay's voice,

"I find that answer vague and unconvincing."

Jyn ignored him and looked up at Andor. She hated looking up at people and had no shame in standing on things to be taller.

"This is a war zone; I like to go in prepared."

Andor gave her a look and held out a hand.

"Then trust me to arm you."

Jyn held the gun firmly.

"Trust goes both ways."

Andor stared her down; Jyn didn't look away; reluctantly, he climbed back up to talk to Kay.

A few minutes later, both men appeared in front of her.

"Get ready," Andor ordered her, before opening the hatch.

It was dry and windy as they lay on a rocky outcropping scouting out the area. Several Nazi truccks were driving in and out of the city rather regularly. They'd had to go in and keep their heads down.

After a few moments of silence, Kay walked up to Andor and asked,

"Where do you want me to leave the plane?"

Andor looked at him sharply and said,

"What do you mean? It's staying here."

Jyn glanced back at them, dropping the binoculars down.

"Shouldn't he stay with the plane? We might need a quick getaway."

Kay shot her a dirty look.

"I don't take orders form you."

Jyn rolled her eyes and made a face, before turning back to the city. Andor hesitated for a moment, then caught Kay's arm.

"Stay with the plane."

Roughly twenty-odd minutes later, Jyn and Andor had made it to the Holy City. It was loud and busy, but the green uniform of the Nazis was never far out of sight. They wandered the city, trying to avoid attention without looking like they were trying to avoid attention. Almost immediately, however, Jyn was rudely bumped - though bumped is a loose term - into by two rough-looking fellows. Andor saved Jyn's ass from a fight by grasping her elbow and leading her away, speaking smooth words of apology to the men.

"I don't suppose you know where Saw actually is, would you?" Jyn asked suddenly, propping a hand on her hip. Andor glanced at her and said easily,

"We'll just have to hope we can get to him in time."

Jyn gaped slightly at him.

"Hope?" Hope didn't get you anywhere with Saw, hope had nothing to do with it. Andor smirked at her a little.

"Yes. Rebellions are built on hope."

That left Jyn standing still as she pondered his words, before running to catch up with him.

"So, this is a rebellion?"

Andor considered the question, before nodding.

"It is. We could have just let Hitler, his Nazis, just take over. We could have just let him run all over us. But we didn't - couldn't. We stood up to him and _rebelled_."

After that, he was never more than five inches - and five inches was pushing it - away from her at all times, like he was her shadow. Quickly, though, she was used to it, so when she suddenly felt alone, she turned to see him several feet away. He caught her eye and returned to her, saying,

"Stay here. I'll be back."

She rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms. She watched crowds carefully, unsure of where Andor had went or what he was doing, but he… would come back. So many voices, so many people; she hated crowds, but knew they were good for distractions and decoys. A voice floated towards her.

"Trade the crystal for a look into your future?"

Jyn frowned, pushed off the wall she was leaning against. There it was again!

She scanned the people, searching. A man sitting against some stairs said it again, but… was he blind? His eyes were milky white and he started out into the crowd, but - he said it again.

Jyn eyes darted around, before she cautiously stepped forward.

"Are you - talking to me?" She asked. The man smiled, surprisingly cheerful for being blind.

"Trade your crystal for a look into your future?"

Jyn hesitated. How?

"What do you know of Kyber crystals?"

The man smiled again, but before he could speak, Andor appeared, wrapping his hand around her elbow.

"We don't have time to visit with the locals. Let's go."

Jyn huffed, but followed him down a side street. Abruptly, she caught sight of someone running along a catwalk. Partisans.

"Cassian," she murmured, tugging his sleeve. Just as he turned towards her, an explosion went off, disabling a tank rolling down street. His arms went up to shield her as she pulled him against the wall. Gun fire and smaller explosions began behind them.

The Partisans were attacking and the Nazis were fighting back.

Cassian was actually relieved he had let her keep the gun, because as she started firing, he realized he'd rather have her at his side during a fight than Kay - no offence to him.

Jyn and Cassian hugged the wall, shooting at the Nazis as well. Suddenly, Jyn saw a small girl standing, crying, in the middle of the street. She was going to get herself killed!

Jyn darted out, dropped to a crouch, tugged the girl close to the wall, told her,

"Get out of here!"

The girl's mother ran up and pulled her away, and Jyn found herself in the middle of the street with no cover. The tank! She ran and threw herself against it, panting.

From the corner, Cassian caught sight of a Partisan on the catwalk pulling a grenade out of his bag. He was going to drop it on the tank! Jyn! Cassian quickly sent a bullet through the man, and Jyn caught his eye after she saw the man fall and gave a quick nod. She darted across the street back to Cassian. He, in turn, grabbed her elbow and tugged her further down the street.

"Are you alright?" he asked, once the fighting had died down, trying to tamp down his worry. Where worry came from, he didn't know, but it was there, and he didn't want it to be. Jyn brushed off her shirt nonchalantly.

"Yeah, great."

A scuffle of boots to their left and Jyn spun; a group of seven-odd Nazis had found them. Jyn shot two of them before they could register, and whipped out her baton from her worn leather bag. She was a blur, whacking and beating the Nazis until they were all just a pile of bruised flesh and green uniforms. Cassian was in awe; because a woman, one only in her early twenties, just took down seven trained Nazis.

A scuffle to the left and she turned abruptly, pointing the gun and squeezing the trigger before she could comprehend that it was Kay in a Nazi jacket. A warm, calloused hand on her wrists, pushing it down and to the side, shouting in her ear as the shot rang in her ears.

"Jyn! Jyn, stop, it's Kay! Jyn!" Cassian was yelling in her ear. She turned her head to face him, breathing slightly hard. He shook her slightly.

"Jyn, snap out of it."

She blinked several times, nodded,

"I'm fine. It's good."

Cassian gave her a look, then turned to face Kay.

"Let's go."

They turned turned a corner found themselves facing a square filled with Nazis. One of them, a commander, probably, stepped up to Kay and demanded,

"Where Where are you taking these… people?"

Cassian and Jyn exchanged a look as Kay stuttered something unconvincing out. Cassian spoke up in an effort to deflect attention.

"He's taking us -"

He was not expecting Kay to slap him upside the face and hiss,

"And there's another one waiting if you mouth off again!"

The Nazi narrowed his eyes at the trio before telling Kay,

"I'll take it it from here."

Jyn and Cassian exchanged another panicked look and both tried to start talking, but the blind man from the market walked up.

"There will be no need for that," he said, cheerfully.

It was clear that all the Nazis were very confused. The man walked into the middle of the square, and the men pointed their guns are him.

"I am one with the LORD; my God is with me."

Jyn, Cassian, and Kay were just as confused as them, but before they could slip away, the blind man started fighting the Nazis with his staff. He made it look effortless, which Jyn didn't quite understand (he _was_ blind) but suddenly a spray of bullet shot past the man and killed a few Nazis behind him. They turned as a burly man with a machine gun marched past them to the man.

"You almost shot me," the blind man complained, but it was clear he was playing.

"But I didn't," he said gruffly.

Before Jyn, Cassian, Kay, or anyone else could say anything else, several men dropped from the nearby roofs and pointed guns with them, but more specifically at Cassian.

"You shot one of our men," a man said, stepping forward. He clicked the safety off his gun and shoved it at Cassian's face. Jyn jumped forward suddenly.

"I wouldn't do that," she warned. The man sneered.

"And why not?"

"Because if you kill me, you'll answer to Saw Gerrera," she said, lifting her head.

The Partisans evidently could communicate without words, because with a sigh, they relieved the five of them of their weapons and marched them out of the city to Saw's hideout in caves above it.

Cassian, Kay, the blind man, and the burly man were all taken to a makeshift cell - that was actually quite sturdy - while Jyn was taken to Saw.

Saw Gerrera was a man torn by war. He had seen World War I, lived through it, saw rebellion in his own country, lived through it, but lost his family, his limbs. Saw Gerrera had lost an arm and a leg, but had never and would never give up. It went against his nature to give up and defer. So he raised his charge the same way. Even if he had never met her, never had to teach her his ways, she would have turned out the same way, full of determination and fire and steel.

This is the way she faced him when he appeared in front of her. She lifted her chin, full of fire and steel and determination and _anger_. She was furious, all that anger and hate rising up like bile in her throat that she had forced down when she was a girl.

Saw smiled at her, like he was her friend, like he was still loved. When he got no reaction, he frowned. He frowned at her, unsure.

"Jyn," he said, smiling hesitantly again. "Come now. Are we not friends?"

At this, Jyn spoke.

"I didn't think we were ever friends, Saw. Friends wouldn't have left like you did."

He gave her a somewhat patronizing frown.

"Jyn. I had to keep you safe. That was the best way I could do it."

Jyn scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Sure you just didn't get tired of me?"

Saw couldn't tell her how much leaving her behind, couldn't find the words. He didn't understand how she got this way, crass, unyielding, uncaring.

"Jyn. Jyn, how can you live in a world like this?"

Jyn grit her teeth, looked away from him to the ceiling, unable to let him know how much she did care, how much she hated this world. So instead, she replied arily,

"It's easy if you don't look up. Where's the letter from my father?"

A sudden realization dawned on Saw's weary face.

"The Allies - they sent you didn't they - they came to kill me."

Jyn was getting fed up.

"Where's the letter, Saw?" she demanded. He swallowed, reached into a locked desk drawer, pulled out a letter in less-than-stellar condition.

"Here."

With shaky hands, Jyn took the letter and unfolded it.

 _If you are reading this, Saw, then the truck driver is as faithful as I hoped. You must get this to the Allies. I have done all I can. Any more, and all my careful planning will be for nothing._

 _They are building something, a terrible weapon, a massive tank they are calling Project Death Star. They needed my help. The man in charge is Director Orson Krennic; he used to be my colleague before he left to help the Germans. You must get this letter to Jyn and I'll tell her what to do._

 _Jyn, if you are reading this, then Saw has been as faithful as I hoped. You must understand, my Stardust, that everything I told you when you were a girl was true. I had to go to so I could create a flaw in the design. All you would have to do is drop a small bomb down a port on the side of the tank and it all goes down. You must get this letter to the Allies. They will know how to get to the plans and what to do. I trust you to do what is necessary, Stardust. The fate of the world rests in your hands._

 _My heart and hope are with you,_

 _Papa_

Cassian was extremely thankful that Saw's rebels had failed to find his lock picking kit in his boot. Unfortunately, the rebels were right outside, so there was no way to pick the lock discreetly. He just hoped they'd turn his back soon so he'd be able to get out. He hoped Jyn was okay.

A noise behind him and to the left drew his attention. Through a tiny barred window, he was a man huddled in the corner. Cassian reached through and poked him on the shoulder.

"Hey. Hey, you," he hissed.

The man jumped at his touch and turned to face him.

"Wh - what?"

Cassian glanced out the the door; the rebels weren't paying any attention to them.

"Are you truck driver?"

The man had a glazed look on his face, but when Cassian said "truck driver," he snapped out of it.

"Yeah, yeah, the truck driver - yeah, that's me."

Cassian nodded.

"You brought a message from Galen Erso, right?"

The man's face brightened a little.

"Galen Erso - yes, a message from Galen Erso. I know where he is."

Cassian's eyes widened and he tried to reach through to him again.

"Where?! Where is he?!"

"I know where he is."

"Yes, where!"

The man couldn't answer, because suddenly, the caves started shaking and crumbling. The rebels outside the cell were grabbing up their things and running out. Now was the time to act.

Cassian picked picked the lock in no time, and Kay and the two men and Cassian were out.

"Kay, get the driver, I'm going for Jyn."

He left no room for argument, but ran down the tunnels.

Jyn had fallen on her knees, tears streaming down her face. This was the first time in fifteen years she was heard anything from her father,and it was when she had to take a message to the Allies. She didn't register that the floor, the walls, the ceiling was shaking, crumbling. She didn't register anyone until Cassian was shaking her, tugging her arm, shouting that she had to to come.

She shook her head, she couldn't leave Saw, she couldn't go. Cassian hauled her to her feet, made eye contact with Saw and was told,

"Take her. Go, leave me."

Jyn struggled in Cassian's arms; she wasn't going to let Saw die.

"Jyn, come on, we have to go now," Cassian said in her ear, insistent. He tugged her out with the two men from from the market, the driver, and Kay starting the plane.

They stumbled onto the plane and landed in a heap. Cassian got up quickly to go to the cockpit with Kay. Out the window, Jyn caught sight of a huge tank rolling out of the dust; it had destroyed Saw's caves. Jyn slid over to sit in the corner, knees pulled to her chin. Cassian reappeared in front of her, a hand on her arm.

"Jyn. Do you have the message? Did you get the letter?"

"The -" Jyn stopped and started to dig through her jacket pockets. "No. No, I - I must have dropped it."

Cassian heaved a sigh, and drug a hand down his face.

"What did he say?"

Jyn took a shaky breath and recounted the letter.

"… Drop a small bomb down a port on the side and it all goes down."

She looked everyone of them in the face.

"We have to tell the Allies; they have to stop it."

The driver spoke up.

"I know where Galen Erso is," he said, shyly, quietly. Cassian gave a small, rare smile.

"What's your name?" He asked gently.

"B- Bodhi Rook."

"Well, Bodhi, where is he?"

"Z- Zurich, Switzerland. A few miles west of the city."

Cassian nodded and went to tell Kay.

The blind man touched Jyn's shoulder, which, Jyn thought, was quite unnerving.

"The strongest stars have hearts of Kyber."

Jyn frowned.

"What does that mean? What do you know about Kyber?" she asked, bewildered and exhausted. Instead of answering, the man smiled and said,

"I'm afraid I can't actually tell your future, but I can read your palm."

The burly man scoffed.

" _Chirrut_."

" _Baze_."

 **~ A few miles west of Zurich, Switzerland ~**

Bodhi leaned behind Cassian and Kay, squinting and trying to see through the heavy thunderstorm.

"Be careful," he warned, as they avoided a sudden stand of thick trees. Cassian jerked around in his seat to snap at Bodhi,

"I don't need two people telling me how to fly my plane."

Jyn stumbled into the cockpit and grabbed the back of Cassian's chair.

"Watch out!" she shouted, but unfortunately, no amount of yelling would have prevented the crash. Bodhi, Baze, and herself were thrown around, due to the fact that they had not be buckled in.

Jyn and Bodhi had left the cockpit. Cassian turned and switched on the radio to receive instructions.

 _… remove Ravenwing from playing field. Repeat, remove Ravenwing from playing field. Ravenwing is liabilty, remove from playing field._

Cassian cursed quietly and jammed the button to turn it off. He didn't want to do this; orders were orders, though, and he didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright," he began, exiting the cockpit and grabbing his gun. "Bodhi, did you say the laboratory was just around there?" At his nod, he said, "You're with me. The rest of you, stay here."

Jyn stood up.

"I want to go," she said in a voice that most people wouldn't argue with. Unfortunately from Jyn, Cassian was not most people.

"No. You have to stay. You're the only one who read the message."

Jyn's eyebrows furrowed as she frowned.

"I told all of you. Everyone here heard it."

"'Small bomb and it all goes down,'" came Kay's voice form the cockpit. "Those were your words. 'And it all goes down.'"

Everyone stared at him, before Cassian turned to look at Jyn.

"You are staying," he said sternly. He and Bodhi were gone before she could say anything.

After a moment of silence, Chirrut asked,

"Did he have the face of a murderer?"

Jyn and Baze looked at him in confusion.

"He gun was in sniper configuration," Kay supplied helpfully.

Jyn should've known better. She jumped up and ran out of the plane in pursuit of Cassian:

He was going to kill her father.

Bodhi led the way up a hill, around a massive boulder, and to a small outcropping, where there was a clear view of the laboratory. Cassian turned to Bodhi and told him to check the area. Then he threw himself down onto his stomach and assembled his scope.

He had a clear shot.

A man in a white suit had assembled Galen Erso and his scientists. They were talking now. Oh, did Cassian wish he could hear what they were saying. Galen turned slightly and Cassian could see his face.

He inhaled sharply. _Galen had Jyn's eyes._

Cassian knew what he had to do.

Krennic was back. He never came this often; he'd already checked in for at least a few months. He'd called them all outside; it was storming. Krennic crossed his arms behind his back.

"Galen, my old friend." he called out, a false-friendly smile on his face. Galen sighed wearily.

"I didn't think we were still friends, Orson."

The false smile dropped.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

Krennic faced the other scientists.

"I don't know if you've heard but… there is a traitor here… one of you. You wouldn't happen to know who, would you? No? No one? You would tell me if you did, would you not?"

Still silence.

Krennic sighed, mock tired.

"Ah, well. I suppose I can provide _incentive_."

At those words, Galen knew what he had to do.

They had landed on a rocky outcropping; similar landscape was all around them, but Bodhi had said the laboratory where her father worked was to the northwest. That's where Cassian and Bodhi had gone; that's where Jyn was going. She worked her way as quickly as possible around the edge of the cliff and headed to the next cliff edge. She needed to get to Cassian or her father, whichever one she could get to faster.

The laboratory was on top of a cliff; if she could scale the side… Jyn knew what she had to do.

Chirrut stood a few minutes after Jyn left and gripped his staff.

"Well, this has been fun, but I think there is something better for me to do."

Kay complained loudly from the cockpit that he couldn't leave. Baze caught his arm.

"Don't be an idiot, Chirrut. You could walk off the side of the cliff."

Chirrut smiled, irritatingly cheerful.

"No, I won't. My God is with me."

Baze frowned and let go. Chirrut climbed off the plane with more grace than a person who could see ever did. Baze leaned against the door frame and called,

"Good luck."

"I won't need luck; I have you."

He grumbled, but… Baze knew what he had to do.

 _"Father!"_

Galen turned suddenly, through the rain, the thunder at his daughter's voice, one that he recognized, even after fifteen years.

It was Jyn, Jeannine, his Stardust.

A transmission came over the radio.

 _"Squadron of fighters in position for bombing. Waiting for signal."_

Cassian's eyes widened.

"No, no, Kay, call them off, Jyn's up there!"

\- End, Part One -

 **Part Two will be here by at least Friday**


	2. Part Two

Part 2

If someone were to ask Jyn what happened, she acquire a distant look and say she couldn't really tell you what exactly happened. It was all a blur of emotion. She remembered happiness at seeing her father again, even for just a few minutes; she remembered fear for her father when she saw Krennic and his men pointing guns; she remembered anger at Krennic for threatening and taking her father from her, and at Cassian for lying to her, and at the Rebellion for killing her father she remembered sadness, overwhelming sorrow when she was her fallen father; she remembered… trust for Cassian, even though he nearly killed her father, when he pulled her off the platform.

Jyn rounded on him when they were on the plane, taking off, away from the fighting, away from her father. She shouted and screamed at him for trying to kill her father, yet all she got in response was a passive,

"You're in shock."

The hell she was, but that didn't make what he did any better. So she pushed and pushed to get him to react. She told him he was no better than a Nazi.

That got him to react. The impenetrable, the untouchable, the invincible Cassian Andor's infallible mask crumbled and fell away. He had lost everything, everything, and been in this power struggle since he was six. She didn't know what it was like.

That got through. The impassive, the uncaring, the inscrutable Jyn Erso's deadpan mask crumbled and fell away. She took a step back; six? He'd been fighting since he was six?

Jyn shook herself; then he should know that what he almost did was wrong.

Cassian shook himself; she should know that what mattered was that he didn't do it.

They didn't speak again on the plane ride back.

 **~ London Underground Base, London ~**

She had to go talk to the council. She didn't want to. She wanted to leave and never come back. But she knew what her father had done had to be finished.

So she told them. She told them what had happened and what needed to happen. She told them that they needed to go Westerburg, Germany, to Castle Varlar where the plans were hidden. The castle was currently housing troops, but they could fight them. They had to do this to save not just the Allies, but the world.

They didn't want to. They were scared, cowards, wanted to hide and scatter their forces. What chance did they have?

" _What chance do we have?_ The question is 'what choice?' The time to fight is _now_! We can choose to hide, but we don't stand up, who will? The Nazis will destroy us all! We have to make a choice. We have to make the _right_ choice. And I choose to fight. It's the only choice there is."

They didn't listen.

Jyn stormed angrily out, back to the small hangar.

"They won't go," Chirrut said. It wasn't a question. Jyn shook her head and paced, furious. Apparently, they were ready to sit back and let the Axis destroy Europe.

"How many?" Bodhi spoke up. Jyn looked at him.

"What?"

"How many do we need?"

He was looking at something behind her. She turned, and was amazed to see Cassian standing there, in front of a group of several men.

"I couldn't live with myself if I gave up," he said quietly by way of explanation. "None of us could."

Jyn gave a half-smile, something squeezing in her chest. He hadn't shot her father; he could've but he didn't and here he was, ready to follow her to his almost certain death, and looking happy about it. Maybe he was different from everyone else, maybe he would stick around.

"I'm used to people sticking around when things go bad."

She wasn't sure when they had moved closer, but they had, and he was staring at her like she was the only thing in the hangar.

"Welcome home."

She could kiss him. The inches between them were electric, humming with tension and energy. She briefly wondered what kind of tension it was. Had Cassian's eyes always been so warm, so endless?

Had Jyn's eyes always looked like a stormy green ocean, just was deep?

A crash in the hangar jerked them out of the little bubble they had formed. Jyn stepped back and scratched her nose; Cassian stepped away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Let's get going."

It took them little time to ready and go. They piled into the back of Cassian's plane, Cassian, Jyn, Bodhi, and Kay crammed in the cockpit.

A voice crackled over the radio.

 _"Hey, who is this?! What's your callsign?"_

Bodhi was at the radio. His eyes widen almost comically and he looked frantically at Jyn. She motioned for him to say something.

"Uh - Rogue? Rogue… One. Rogue One."

 **~ Just outside Castle Varlar, Westerburg, Germany ~**

Jyn took a deep breath. There was no way - there had to be a way - the codes wouldn't work - they had to work. She clutched her mother's crystal in her hand. She felt Cassian's gaze hot on her back. She glanced back at him, gave him a half smile.

"We're in," Bodhi breathed.

Everyone released a pent-up breath of release and Jyn brushed Cassian to tell the others in the back. The men looked at her expectantly.

"The plans are in Castle Varlar. Cassian, Kay, and I are going inside to get them. The rest of you are here for backup and diversion. I don't know how many are inside or outside, but we have to get those plans. You signed up for this knowing there is no extraction team; the only one is Bodhi on the plane. But you came anyway; you know this is something that has to be done. We've been given a chance that we have to take, and we'll take the next one and the next, until the chances are spent. If we don't… all our families, our friends… they die along with us. We are Europe - the world's - only hope."

She glanced at Cassian when she finished, when he stepped next to her.

"Make ten men feel like a hundred," he said simply.

They had pilfered two Nazi uniforms - because Kay already had one - one for a man, one for a woman. In the back of the truck they had stolen, Jyn and Cassian changed quickly, backs to each other. Jyn had always hated skirts and pencil skirts were the worst. She tucked in her skirt and shrugged on the blazer, then picked up the tie. She'd never had much luck with a tie, but gave it a shot.

It didn't work.

She cursed quietly, tried again, but calloused hands were suddenly on her own, pushing them away and tying the tie for her. She looked up abruptly. Cassian was inches from herself, eyes intent on hers. Neither looked away from each other as he tied her tie without looking. He finished, smoothed his thumb over the knot, brushed his fingers over her pulse point. Her eyes fluttered.

"Cassian," she whispered, tasting his name on her lips. His eyes skirted over her face, lingered on her lips and back to her eyes.

"Jyn," he whispered hoarsely.

"Cassian," she said again, desperately, surging forward, pulling him to her.

Their lips met desperately in the middle; Jyn hadn't considered that he would kiss the way he did everything else; with ruthless efficiency. She gasped and he took it, stole the breath from her lungs and she gladly let him. His pulled on her bottom lip, smoothed his tongue over it. Her fingers found his hair; the other slid underneath her jacket, scrabbled at the back of his shirt to find bare skin. Cassian pushed her backwards, till her knees bumped the back of the bench, pulled her closer, one hand pushing beneath her jacket. Jyn pulled back reluctantly for air, but Cassian only moved from her mouth to her jaw and neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point, making her gasp.

A bang on the side of the truck made him pull back, Kay's voice calling,

"Hurry up, you two. Someone's coming."

Cassian ran his thumb over her cheek, straightened her tie again; Jyn took a shaky breath and pulled on his jacket to straighten it. He smiled slightly.

"Till the chances are spent," he said softly.

They exit the truck bed with smooth masks on their scared faces; this was ride or die. They couldn't exactly back out now. Cassian turned to Kay.

"Everyone ready?"

At his affirmative, the three crept around to the back of the castle and slipped in a backdoor. Hopefully, they could get in and get out while escaping notice, but that was a lot to ask. Jyn was glad she had shoved pants into the bag Cassian was carrying.

The plans were on the sixth floor; that meant a lot of stairs and even more potential interference. They would have to hope no one really looked past the uniform.

"I've got a bad fe-"

"Shut up!"

"Quiet, Kay!"

Chirrut and Baze waited impatiently by the back of the car. An American was going to rig an explosion on Cassian's signal; then they would draw out the Nazis from inside the castle to make way for Jyn, Cassian, and Kay.

Chirrut was praying quietly under his breath. Baze had lost faith after the Nazis overran Jerusalem. Where was God when they needed him?

He found Chirrut's hand instead and Chirrut squeezed it in response. All Baze needed was Chirrut and his gun. As long as he had those two things, he could make it through this suicidal battle.

They hadn't realized that Castle Varlar was so big. It was enormous and the hike to the sixth floor would take even longer than she'd originally thought. She felt jittery in her own skin; Cassian felt like he was going to soak through his hat with sweat. Neither of them understood how Kay looked so calm and impassive.

Jyn's hand crept over to Cassian's, fingers sweeping over his knuckles, and took yet another deep breath. Stay calm - but the clock it ticking - nothing will be made better if you loose it, Erso - the clock is ticking faster and faster.

They were on the third floor; time for the diversion. Cassian ducked into a shadowy corner and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

 _Bbsszzttt_

"Mel, do you copy?"

 _Bbsszzttt_

 _"Captain, I copy."_

 _Bbsszzttt_

"Light 'em up."

Almost immediately, an explosion went off, shaking the ground, rattling the walls. Cassian, Jyn, and Kay started running against the flow of people who appeared, pushing them towards the door, acting like they were trying to help get people out.

In reality, it was quite the opposite. They kept their heads down and sprinted up stairs, two, three, at a time.

"Here! Here it is!" Jyn yelled, stopping short at some double doors. Cassian checked behind him and in front then kicked the doors open. Kay motioned them in.

"You go!"

He pushed them in and yanked the doors shut behind him. There was a sturdy mahogany desk next to several all file cabinets directly across from a large fireplace. The western wall had only one window.

Kay started rifling through the papers on the desk, while Jyn and Cassian began looking through the files. Cassian cursed and slammed one of the drawers shut, before opening the next.

"Cassian, Kay!" She caught Cassian's arm. "Look for stardust!"

"Stardust?" They asked. Jyn nodded, flinched when she heard feet thundering past the door. "Why?"

"Because it's me."

Kay gave an exclamation.

"It is in the third drawer from the top in the middle cabinet!"

Someone banged on the door, shouting,

" _Wer ist dort!_ "

The three exchanged a look and Jyn and Cassian bumped elbows trying to find Stadust.

"Here! Here!"

Jyn pulled a file out, brandishing it. Now they just have to get the plans out. Kay turned to them, looking resigned.

"You can get out if you take the tunnel."

Jyn and Cassian exchanged a look, confused.

"What tunnel?"

Kay went across the room to the fireplace and pressed something that made the back slid up. Jyn gasped. Maybe they could get out!

There were more voices outside, methodical banging on the doors. Kay gestured frantically.

"Go! I will cover you!"

Cassian looked up sharply.

"What? No!"

Kay sighed, exasperated, tired.

"There's no other way, Cassian. You have to."

Cassian opened his mouth to argue, shut it, cursed.

"Go, Jyn. I'm coming."

Jyn paused at the tunnel entrance and turned to Kay, flipping a pistol around and holding it out.

"I think you'll be needing this," she said with a tight smile. Kay - Kay looked surprised.

"I - thank you, Jyn Erso. You are more different than predicted."

Jyn's mouth twitched.

"I get that a lot."

She ducked into the tunnel, manila file clutched close to her chest. Cassian ducked in just behind her, looking grim as the hidden door shuts and dull shouts were heard. Cassian dug a flashlight out of his bag and tossed Jyn her pants. She changed quickly, as he flipped through the file.

"This is it, alright," he told her, closing it and handing it back to her. Jyn nodded and flinched when she heard shots. Cassian's walkie-talkie suddenly went fuzzy; Kay was gone. Jyn's hand found Cassian's in the dark, and they turned as one to run down the tunnel.

Five minutes later, and they heard clear shouts from the head of the tunnel. Somehow, they put on a burst of speed, but the yells were getting closer.

What was that?

Thin slivers of light ahead!

Suddenly, bullets stared flying around their heads, and Cassian wrapped his arm around Jyn puling her closer and pushing her more in front. He was going to get himself killed.

Cassian periodically twisted around to shoot back at their pursuers, and about twenty feet from the exit, when Cassian had turned to shoot, was shot in the side and fell forward.

"Cassian!" Jyn screamed, felt him drag, but pulled him on and didn't stop running. She wanted to, she wanted to stop and push him down, make him rest, but he would want her to go. She pushed through the wooden door at the end, burst out into the screams of fighters zipping through the air, shooting other planes, dropping bombs. Jyn skittered to a halt, ducking and throwing up a hand to protect her and Cassian. Starting to move again, she pushed Cassian back through some bushed to a stand of trees to let him rest.

A man in a white suit - Director Krennic, head of Project Death Star - burst out where they had just come, striding forward purposefully. He had come to find them. Turning back to Cassian, she shoved the papers in his bag, but kept the file.

"Okay, Cass, time to stay quiet. Stay here," she murmured in his ear, unwrapping an arm around his waist to help sit. He groaned when she did, and her hand was sticky with his blood.

"I'll come back."

She might not get a chance to come back, and Cassian knew this, but didn't contradict her. She pressed her lips to his temple, and turned and ran the opposite direction from Cassian. A voice rang out from behind her.

" _Je tirerai si tu ne t'arrêtes pas_."

Stop or he'll shoot? Jyn hadn't spoken French in ages, but it was still easy as breathing.

" _Je n'ai pas peur de to_ i," she called out, clear as day. And she never would be afraid of him. She had few fears anymore. Well… she had several that made her feel sick.

" _Vous voulez les plans? Viens les chercher_ ," she told him, standing defiant, chine raised, fire in her eyes.

Krennic deliberated.

"That would be a foolish move for you, you know," he said, thick French accent. "I will still shoot you."

Jyn smiled humorlessly.

"I don't _care_ if you shoot me. I'd think you'd understand that, considering I came into the heart of Nazi territory willing to give my life for some plans."

Krennic stared hard at her.

"Who _are_ you?"

Jyn lifted her head.

"Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso. And your plan will never work," she swore.

Krennic laughed.

"You're as foolish as your father if you really think that. You will die with your precious Alliance." He aimed his gun at her. "And the Nazi party will rule as they should!"

A bang resounded through the trees, but instead of Jyn falling, it was Krennic. Cassian was leaning heavily against a tree, pistol pointed out a him, and Jyn thought he was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. She jogged over to him, limping and she wasn't quite sure when that had happened. Reaching for the bag, Jyn quickly dug through it, then sighed, then looked up.

She stared up Cassian unashamedly. He was pale, a bruise forming around his left eye and cheekbone, and blood was soaking through his shirt, but his eyes were shining with hope.

Cassian stared at Jyn unabashedly, drinking in the sight of her, need and fire in her eyes, a cut on her chin, blood on her pants leg - when had that happened - but she had never looked more beautiful, glowing in the setting sun.

Somehow they made it back - they had given to plans to a pilot who was starting his ship back up and would take it straight back to London.

They finally reached the plane, Bodhi in the cockpit but -

"Where are Chirrut and Baze?" Jyn demanded, helping Cassian sit down. Bodhi didn't - couldn't - look her in the face.

"They - they're not - not coming," he whispered.

Jyn slumped against the plane wall. No, nonononono, they didn't deserve to die. No one who came did.

"Where's the rest?" she asked wearily.

Bodhi only shook his head, and Jyn gasped for breath, sinking down beside Cassian. Her hand crept over to grasp his, and he turned it to hold hers more firmly. The plane sputtered to start around them.

Cassian turned his head to face her, and found her already staring at him, and pulled her to his chest.

"You father would be proud, Jyn," he said softly, hoarsely.

In the end, almost is the saddest word there is.

They almost avoided that bomber fire.

He almost dodged that bullet.

They almost found family.

She almost loved him.

They almost made it.

\- End, Part 2, Finis -


End file.
